There’s been widespread reaction to and condemnation of yesterday’s Westminster terrorist atrocity, which has so far claimed five lives and left over 40 injured including, it’s emerged this morning, an Irish national.
“A policeman died to protect parliamentary democracy,” says J.K. Rowling. “An MP fought to save his life. We grieve, we fight on. This is the country we live in.”
“Thinking of London today,” says Snow Patrol’s Gary Lightbody. “A city I’ve lived in and a city I love.”
Responding to a typically opportunistic Katie Hopkins rant on Fox TV – “People are cowed. People are afraid. And people are not united," she told the American news channel – Gary Lineker insists that, “People are not cowed. People are not afraid. And people are uniting against evil. This is London.”
“Let’s be calm everyone,” cautions Lily Allen. “The police need space to investigate, we need to wait for facts, digest what is happening and respect those affected.”
Adds Boy George: “So sad for all of those hurt in the London terror attack. I want to be angry but I'm just heartbroken. More police, more security. More eyes.”
Speaking to BBC Radio Four, Brendan Cox, the widow of murdered British MP Jo Cox, says: “What the terrorist would like to happen is for us to fall apart and start blaming groups of people, to say that in some way this is Muslim or Islam as a whole. We have to remember that the person who did this is no more representative of British Muslims than the person who killed Jo is representative of people that are from Yorkshire.
"I’m going to do whatever I can to remember the names of the victims like PC Palmer and not the name of the person who did this, partly driven by the desire for notoriety,” he concludes.
Nicki Minaj tweeted: "May God protect everyone in London. Hate hearing this sad news. Sending condolences to the victims' families", while Pink messages: "I've just this second turned on the news. My heart is hurting for the people in London who have been affected by yet another tragedy."